Foreign buyers continue to flock to US property in 2017, reveals TheMoveChannel.com’s latest Top of the Props index. The USA accounted for 1 in 12 enquiries on the portal in May, stealing the top spot back from Spain.

America has consistently been one of the most sought-after destinations among foreign investors in recent years, ranking number one in TheMoveChannel.com’s Top of the Props charts for four of the last six months. After months of battling Spain for the coveted first place, the USA once again came out on top in May, pushing its rival down into second. The country made up 8.44 per cent of all enquires on the international portal in May, up from 4.87 per cent in April.

Spain’s share of enquiries fell from 10.4 per cent in April to 4.31 per cent, although its share remained higher than a year ago (4.03 per cent). Interest also grew year-on-year in Cypriot property, with the island’s share of activity soaring from 0.38 per cent in May 2016 to 3.35 per cent in May 2017. This is the third month in a row that enquiries have increased for real estate in Cyprus, as buyers continue to return to the island. Cyprus is now the third most popular destination on TheMoveChannel.com, marking its second month in the Top 5.

In mainland Europe, France enjoyed a flurry of activity following Macron’s election victory, climbing five positions to seize fourth place. French property accounted for 2.63 per cent of enquiries in May, up from 1.67 per cent in April. The Top 5 was completed by the UAE, which also surged five places up the chart to re-enter the top tier, accounting for 2.12 per cent of enquiries.

Portugal, meanwhile, slipped two places into sixth, accounting for 1.85 per cent of enquiries. Bulgaria also dropped seven places in the charts, but remained in the Top 10, after a significant increase in interest from buyers in the last year. Eighth place Italy’s share of enquiries dipped from 1.91 per cent to 1.69 per cent, but the country remains in the same place as a year ago. Interest climbed in Canadian real estate, which rose nine places into seventh. This is its 2nd month ranking in the Top 10 this year, after interest weakened in the second half of 2016, following the introduction of a tax on foreign buyers in the Vancouver region.

The rise of the USA occurs as the National Association of Realtors forecasts that foreign buyers and immigration are expected to drive future demand for housing in the country. This week has also seen the Federal Reserve decide to raise interest rates for the second time this year, with another hike potentially on the cards before the end of 2017.

TheMoveChannel.com Director Dan Johnson comments: “America’s housing market continues to enjoy a strong and stable recovery in the eyes of investors. As demand outstrips supply across most of the country, property prices have now risen year-on-year for 62 months in a row, according to the National Association of Realtors. Buoyed by the positive sentiment in the US economy, with the Federal Reserve raising rates for the third time in seven months this week, the country’s investment appeal shows no sign of fading. Florida, California, New York and Texas are all popular among foreign buyers, but with the dollar strong against other currencies, enquiries from investors on TheMoveChannel.com are fuelled primarily by interest in Detroit and Florida, where prices remain below their previous peaks, despite strong capital growth in the last year.”

Click here to see the full top 40 property destinations for June 2017.

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Notes to Editors

About Lead Galaxy and TheMoveChannel.com

Founded in 1999, www.TheMoveChannel.com is the leading independent website for international property, with more than 1.4 million listings in over 100 countries around the world, marketed on behalf of agents, developers and private owners.

TheMoveChannel.com is one of more than a dozen international property sites operated under the Lead Galaxy brand. Lead Galaxy provides online marketing solutions to thousands of property companies worldwide, focusing on portal listings, email marketing, qualified leads, paid search and social media advertising.

Do you need comment or statistics for an international real estate article? Our experienced editorial team and management are happy to collate data, provide example properties, or offer insightful comment to support your publication.

Our technical team has developed a great new solution for content publishers that allows the addition of high impact advertising units, which can be configured to show property listings, relevant to a type of property, country, region or a specific location.

There are 2 types of implementation:

Standard Ad Units: These show in 120,600, 160×600, 300×150, 300×250, 300×500, 300×750 and 728×90 formats, with a varying number of listings showing in each version.

Dynamic Portfolio: This is a completely configurable panel, where you can choose the number of columns and rows, plus the size of the listings and dedicate a section of a page, or even a whole page to a set of properties.

Spain is still number one for international buyers, reveals TheMoveChannel.com’s latest Top of the Props index. Spanish property accounted for 1 in 10 of all enquiries on the portal in April 2017, stealing back the top spot from the USA. This is the second time that the country has been the most popular destination on the site in 2017, after it ranked first in February, with 14.02 per cent of enquiries.

Spain’s return to the top of the chart is despite much speculation surrounding the impact of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union upon British buyer appetites. Historically, UK buyers have been the biggest spenders on Spanish property. The country’s appeal to a wide range of nationalities, though, remains undiminished: The Spanish Registrars’ latest annual report shows that foreign transactions now make up a record 13.25 per cent of transactions, despite a dip in demand for British investors. On TheMoveChannel.com, Spain also accounted for 31 of the 50 most searched-for locations on The MoveChannel.com in Q1 2017 – an all-time high for any country.

Demand is also booming for Bulgaria, which surged 11 places up the Top of the Props index to steal fourth place. The country accounted for 4.09 per cent of all enquiries in May 2017, marking its first place in TheMoveChannel.com’s Top 10 in seven months and its highest ranking in the Top of the Props index since February 2015.

May’s biggest climber, though, was Malta, which jumped 13 places in the chart to become the 11th most popular country on TheMoveChannel.com. This is the island’s first time in the Top 20 since August 2016, accounting for 1.45 per cent of enquiries, and its highest ranking since July 2013.

Portugal held onto fourth place, with 3.37 per cent of enquiries, while interest in Cyprus continued to climb, as the country rose into fifth place. Cape Verde climbed seven places to seize sixth spot, just ahead of Italy and Indonesia. France and the UAE completed the Top 10.

“Even with the more expensive buying costs for Brits brought about by Brexit, Spanish property’s affordability is at its most appealing in 2017, as bottomed-out prices mean that capital growth is possible for investors,” comments Dan Johnson, CEO of TheMoveChannel.com. “The same is true of Bulgaria, where prices are now rising steadily and the economy is similarly growing: both present overseas buyers with stable markets, potential for rental returns and rising values, and, of course, a life beside the seaside. Indeed, since the Brexit vote last year, we have seen a growing trend among some British buyers looking to Bulgaria for bargain opportunities that won’t break the budget. Whether Bulgaria and Malta can stay in the Top 15 during 2017 is yet to be seen, but with overseas interest in Cyprus staying steady for the second month in a row, Spain is not the only bright spot in Europe this Spring.”

Founded in 1999, www.TheMoveChannel.com is the leading independent website for international property, with more than 1.4 million listings in over 100 countries around the world, marketed on behalf of agents, developers and private owners.

TheMoveChannel.com is one of more than a dozen international property sites operated under the Lead Galaxy brand. Lead Galaxy provides online marketing solutions to thousands of property companies worldwide, focusing on portal listings, email marketing, qualified leads, paid search and social media advertising.

Do you need comment or statistics for an international real estate article? Our experienced editorial team and management are happy to collate data, provide example properties, or offer insightful comment to support your publication.

Our technical team has developed a great new solution for content publishers that allows the addition of high impact advertising units, which can be configured to show property listings, relevant to a type of property, country, region or a specific location.

There are 2 types of implementation:

Standard Ad Units: These show in 120,600, 160×600, 300×150, 300×250, 300×500, 300×750 and 728×90 formats, with a varying number of listings showing in each version.

Dynamic Portfolio: This is a completely configurable panel, where you can choose the number of columns and rows, plus the size of the listings and dedicate a section of a page, or even a whole page to a set of properties.